


Rain

by TraintrackHobo



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, Not sure how long later, One-Shot, Post-Battle of Five Armies, Post-Hobbit, fluff-ish, re-written
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-14
Updated: 2014-03-14
Packaged: 2018-01-15 17:07:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1312630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TraintrackHobo/pseuds/TraintrackHobo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>And then there was Bofur, always Bofur, radiant and warm and always talking or smiling or joking around with Bilbo. And Bilbo fell in love with him so fast it was hard to remember where they even started.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rain

**Author's Note:**

> This story has undergone severe editing by my own hand since I first wrote it almost two years ago. Some elements were kept the same, but I am a lot happier with this version than I was with the last.

The silence between them (save the rain that poured steadily and relentlessly outside) was painful. Bilbo stood there and stared, and Bofur, lying in a puddle on the mat, stared back. He was smiling despite his soaked appearance and the fact that he had fallen face first through the door. He shouldn't have been leaning against it in the first place. Though, it was partially Bilbo's fault, considering he had taken so long to answer it.

Though there was a lot to take in--both physically and emotionally--the first thing that Bilbo shifted his gaze to were Bofur's eyes. They were as bright and shining as the first day Bilbo had met him, and as deep and rich with emotion as they had been in all of their shared moments together throughout their adventure. 

And just like that, Bilbo was reliving it all again--Gandalf visiting his home with talk of adventure, and the dwarves with their captivating tales of dragons and lost homes and the journey to reclaim what once was theirs. Their stories had awoken something in Bilbo that night, like a candle coaxed to life in a dark room. A need to see beyond the Shire for once, to live how he wanted and not how others saw fit. And so he went with them. Of course he went with them.

And then there was Bofur, always Bofur, radiant and warm and always talking or smiling or joking around with Bilbo. And Bilbo fell in love with him so fast it was hard to remember where they even started.

And then there was the Battle--Fili, Kili, and Thorin's death, and Bilbo heading back home, back to the Shire alone and without Bofur because he _couldn't_ , not when everything hurt so badly it left him dizzy. He departed with a grief so heavy and so deep and it felt as if it had settled in his bones. 

Bilbo shuttered, forcing himself to remain here and now. With Bofur. Yet despite himself, he felt a small sob hiccup past his lips, and he stumbled forward, helping the dwarf up and pulling him into a tight embrace. He took no notice of the fact that Bofur was soaking wet, and that it, too, was slowly seeping into the fabric of Bilbo's robe. No, that was the last thing on the hobbit's mind because Bofur was _here._ Bofur was here with Bilbo and that was all that mattered now. 

Bofur held his little hobbit tightly in his arms, burying his face in those golden curls and breathing deep. Bilbo smelled mostly the same, but instead of the sharp, heady smell of earth that had clung to all of their clothing during their travels, he carried the much cleaner scent of the Shire and freshly baked bread. It was different, but still Bilbo. Still his brave little hobbit.

Bilbo shook in his arms, his chest heaving as he fought for breath between each sob, and Bofur hushed him, running gentle fingers through copper curls. When Bilbo had calmed down some, Bofur pulled back slightly to get a better look at the hobbit. Bilbo's hair was shorter than it had been near the end of their adventure. It was still a mess of copper, curls growing past the hobbit's pointed ears, however. His eyes appeared noticeably more strained, and his mouth more lined. Whether these were with stress or age, Bofur was not sure. All he knew was that Bilbo was still as lovely as the day he'd first met him. Seeing him now almost brought a tear to the dwarf's eye, and a sizeable lump formed in his throat. He swallowed thickly and forced himself to remain at least somewhat together for now. For Bilbo. 

“Bilbo, my Bilbo, I’ve missed ye so much,” Bofur croaked, running his thumb over Bilbo's tear-stained cheek. 

"I've missed you too," Bilbo said, offering a smile as shaky as his voice. A moment later, his smile fell and he cleared his throat. "I am...so sorry that I left you. I want you to know that. I loved you, and still love you very much. I just--" He swallowed thickly, glancing down. Bofur had taken his hands in his own, and was running his calloused thumbs soothingly down their backs. "--it just, it _hurt_ so much, and I...I couldn't take it. I felt like I had to--like I deserved to be alone." He glanced back up, noting how Bofur's eyes were tearing up, and he wondered if he should stop. A shaky smile from the dwarf encouraged him to continue. "But I needed you--even then, I did. I was just hurting too much to realize it. And I'm sorry."

Bofur was quiet for a long moment. Outside, the rain continued beating down, not once stopping. The door to Bilbo's home was still open, yet he made no move to close it.

"There's no need to apologize," Bofur said at last, drawing Bilbo's thoughts away from the rain. "I understand your pain, I do. And ye don' have to be sorry for it. Jus' know that I'm here for you...if ye want me."

Bilbo blinked, stunned yet somehow not surprised. This was Bofur, after all, and he would follow Bilbo anywhere if the hobbit so wished it. Yet, what Bilbo thought Bofur failed to realize was that the hobbit would do the same for him in a heartbeat.

Without warning, Bilbo pulled Bofur into his arms, burying his face in the damp fabric of his travelwear. The dwarf, after a brief moment of shock, wrapped his arms around the hobbit and held him tightly.

"Of course I want you here!" Bilbo exclaimed after another long hug. He took a step back, sniffling. They were both crying now, yet Bilbo knew neither of them felt sad. Bofur grinned, and it was so happy and full of warmth that Bilbo couldn't help but smile back.

Suddenly, Bilbo jumped, looking as if he'd just realized something of dire importance. “Look at you—you’re all wet! You must be freezing!” And Bofur laughed while his little hobbit began listing off all of the things they would need to do to make him comfortable and at home.

“Aye, but it was worth it,” he said once the hobbit had finished. He stepped forward and took Bilbo’s hands in his own, causing the hobbit to still and gaze at him with blue-eyed fondness. “It was all worth it to see you.”

Bilbo stared down at their joined hands. “I’ve missed you…” he said again, voice trailing off.

Bofur released one of Bilbo's hands, and the hobbit watched as he brought the other one up to his lips for a whiskery kiss.

"And I you."


End file.
